Beating hearts
by juliette01
Summary: He was in a huge mess, and she was the only one who could help him. They both knew it. They both hated the situation he was in but there was little any of them could do, but they wanted to try. They were willing to fight for each other, no matter what. She was willing to fight for him. My first Miraculous story, I hope you'll like it. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi there, guys. My first story for Miraculous, I really hope you'll like it._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own anything from **Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.**_

* * *

"You want me to do what?" Adrian asked incredulously, staring at his father in shock, his green eyes widedened in horror. No. That couldn't be true. He must have misheard it. Yes! He got it all wrong. His father hadn't really said that. He couldn't have. It was a mistake, just a huge mistake, a nightmare.

Gabriel Agreste looked at his son, his face stern as he answered. "Don't be so shocked. You knew this day was going to come. I think it's time, Adrien." Adrien opened his mouth to pritest at the statement but a sharp look from his father cut him off. "It will help you in your model career."

Well, he couldn't argue with that but it didn't mean he accepted it. He knew it wasn't just for his career. He knew Gabriel would never do anything without a reason, without a full plan. He was the one who pulled the strings, always having a plan. And his plan was obvious: it would be a great deal for him if the mayors daughter dated Adrien. "But-"

"There's no use in trying to protest." His father interrupted, giving him a look that he knew all too well: 'we're done taking about this'. "There's no point in arguing with me. You'll do as I say, wheter you like it or not. End of discussion." He said and turned around, walking away and leaving Adrien alone.

The blonde clenched his fists as his father's words still rang in his ears. Shoulders slumped, he headed for his room, not for the first time in his life wishing to have a word to say when it came to his life. He didn't like being controlled like that. He wanted freedom, wanted to have something to say. But he never truly had the courage to. And Gabriel knew that. He had wondered often how things would have happened if his mother would have been there. She surely wouldn't have forced him to do things he didn't want to. He knew she wasn't like that. From the vague memories he had of her he knew she was a sweet and caring person, someone who would always listen first instead of just giving orders. _She would have listened_ , he told to himself. _She wouldn't have just ordered me around like he does._

Once in his room, Adrien couldn't help the frustrated sigh that escaped him. He slammed the door shut; not caring if anybody heard it, if his father heard it; and he pulled the front of his jacket a little, not surprised when a grinning Plagg flew out. He knew that the black cat had heard everything. "Did you...?"

"I did." The little fairy answered as he hovered in front of Adrien, his green eyes amused. "Do you really think he's...?

"I do." Adrien responded and walked toward his desk. "When he has something in mind, he makes sure to acomplish it." He added as he sat down in front of his computer, resting his elbows on the desk and groaning out loud. "What am I supposed to do now, Plagg?" He asked exasperatedly though he knew his kwami wasn't going to give him a proper answer.

"How should I know? Just take it as an opportunity."

"You aren't helping."

Plagg shrugged. "I know. I'm not really an expert when it comes to girls and relationships, they're too complicated. That's why I always stick with cheese." He chuckled. "You should try it too."

"Oh shut up!" Adrien groaned and closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose as he tried to calm himself down. "I need to get out of this place." He mumbled and sat up abruptly, taking his kwami by surprise. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Marinette let out a small sigh of relief as she allowed herself to relax. Her day had gone by smoothly, there were no akuma attacks and she had managed to go through the day without tripping or falling like she usually did, which was a good start. Another reason for her to be glad was that it was Friday and she was glad to have finished with school for this week. "It's been a good day, Tikky, but I'm glad it's over." She told her kwami and stretched out.

Tikky giggled and opened her mouth to respond only to get cut off them they heard someone tapping on Marinette's bedroom window. They both knew who could be.

"Tikky, hide." The dark-haired teen said, panicking a little as she stood up from the chair at her desk and made her way to the window, watching Tikky hide in her little purse before she opened the window, allowing Chat Noir to stumble in, his expression dark. It wasn't unusual for him to pay her surprise visits but his appearance did surprise her. He was usually cheerful but this time he wasn't. There was something wrong going on with him and she knew in an instand she wanted to help him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked as he walked to her bed and sat down, his gaze faraway. She walked in front of him and sighed. "Has the cat gotten your tongue, Chat?" She asked teasingly but he remained quiet. It was unexpected. He was usually open, talkative, flirty and he would never miss a pun. But this time he seemed different. Lost. Sad. "What's wrong?" She asked and sat down next to him.

Finally, he looked up. He swallowed. "Nothing. I just wanted to see you."

Marinette shook her head. "No, it's not just that. It's more than that, isn't it, Chat? Tell me." She said, her eyes on his face. She wanted to help him, wanted him to open up to her. "Please." She insisted.

"It's just..." He trailed off, his eyes darting all over her room, across the walls, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he saw the Adrien posters all around the walls. "I just had a bad day, that's all." He said and looked at her. She was already watching him, a determined expression on her face, her blue eyes wide and curious and he couldn't help but notice how close they really were: their shoulders and legs almost touched and he couldn't help but stare at her lips, so inviting. _No, stop it!_ He commanded himself. _She's just your friend. You're not supposed to feel that way toward her. You're in love with Ladybug!_ And yet, despite all that, he didn't care. He only wanted to be with her, with Marinette, to hug her, to kiss her, to...

"Chat!" Marinette exclaimed, snapping him out of his revery. "Did you hwar at least a thing from everything I've said?"

His cheeks turned light pink and he shook his head. "Not really. It's... complicated."

Her hand rested on his forearm reassuringly and she gave him a small nod. "Why don't you tell me what it's about?" She asked, her voice soft and comforting.

His gaze locked with hers and he could see so much sincerity within her eyes, the pure wish to help him, to see him happy. "I... It's about my father. He uhh... is forcing me to date this girl under the excuse that it's the best for me but... I really don't want that, I don't like her in that way but he wouldn't listen to a word I say against it. I mean... she's not that bad, well not all the time, but I really don't want to out with her just because this is what my father wants me to do. It doesn't feel right, you know?" His eyes were sad, shiny with tears and he blinked. "I tried reasoning with him but he didn't want to listen."

Now Marinette was troubled. She didn't know how she should answer to that. She didn't know what to do to comfort him so she did the only thing she could think of: she hugged him. Her arms went around him in a comforting embrace, his face buried into her shoulder. It took him only a moment to compose himself and hug back. She held him in her arms for a few minutes, rubbing his back soothingly, her chin resting on the top of her head. "It's okay, Chat. I'm sure things will sort out, somehow. Everything will be okay." She whispered, though she couldn't help the small spark of uncertainity building in the pit of her stomach. Uncertainity and... jealousy. She didn't want any other girl near her partner other than her. _No! Stop thinking like this!_ She scolded herself, wishing that Chat Noir wouldn't notice the effect his words had brought over her. Shaking it off, she pulled back a little so she could look down at him, a small, sincere smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Everything will be okay." She whispered, reassuringly, her voice soft and kind.

He pulled back as well, his arms still around her, and gazed into her bright blue eyes that managed to soothe her when her words hadn't. "I... thank you, Princess." He whispered and leaned down, his forehead resting against hers. Their eyes locked and both of them felt a pleasant shiger running through them. He bent and nuzzled his nose against hers, his pulse racing accordingly. They were so close to each other, their lips inches away. He could feel her sweet breath against his lips and he couldn't help the sudden desire to kiss her. It was too tempting to resist. And he didn't want to resist. He leaned towards her, his eyes closing slowly and he could see her doing the same as she leaned up, tilting her head slightly to the side. One clawed hand lifted and he cupped the side of her face in his palm, gently brushing his thumb over her cheek as their lips met in a soft, unrushed things that sent a million sensations through both of them. Marinette's arms snaked themselves around his neck as she pulled him closer to her and he made a sound that resembled a purr into her mouth, making her grin.

It was amazing to be kissed by Chat, Marinette realized and that thought made her grin melt into a small smile. She liked the feelings it brought to her, the small tingling sensations that travelled through her and up her spine. She knew she had to stop that though, regardless of how great it felt but she couldn't bring herself to. It felt too good to stop.

After a few minutes, Chat wad the one who broke contact when he remembered that, in fact, yes, they did need to breath. He pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against her shoulder, both of them panting for air as they remained tangled into each other. Her eyes opened and she leaned her head against his, her lips parted slightly and her chest raising and falling heavily as she breathed. Her heart was pounding fast and loud into her ears and she couldn't help but notice how strange she was feeling now that the contact had been broken. Finally, he lifed his head and looked down at her, green eyes staring affectionately into blue eyes. "I..."

"How are you?" She asked bluntly, trying not to lose herself in the depths of his eyes.

"I'm... _feline_ a lot better, _Purr-incess_." He said with a satisfied purr that made her giggle. Some things never changed. But she had to admit it, she found it cute when he made puns, not that she would ever say it to him.

She shook her head but said nothing. Instead, she pulled him back to her and hugged him tightly. "I wish I could do more to help you, Kitty." She whispered as she rubbed his back.

He purred and buried her face in her hair, smiling when her sweet scent filled his nostrils. "You've done more than I could ask for, my Princess." He whispered. And it was true. He had come to her seeking comfort, someone to confess to and not only had she let him tell her what was bothering her but she had also helped him understand that maybe... just maybe there was a light for him too. They pulled back shortly after and she averted her gaze.

"What does that make us now, Chat?" She asked tentatively, her eyes scanning the room as if she was in there for the first time.

He sighed. "I... I really don't know." There was regret in his voice and a note of sadness she had never heard from him before. Her guessing is that there was a beginning for everything. Chat cupped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her head so she was looking back at him. "But that doesn't mean that I don't wish that it was _paw-sibble_ for us to be... something more." He said with uncharacteristical seriousity, his eyes sparkling with sincerity.

She was starting to wonder if he really liked her in that way or it was just some sort of revenge for his father. _What are you doing, Marinette? Don't think so low of him! He's not like that. He would never use you._ She mentally scolded herself. Realizing he was still waiting for an answer, she sighed. "I... don't know, Chat. We'll sort this out, okay? Together."

He nodded and gave her a smile that she returned. "I think it's time to leave, _Purr-incess_." He said with a slight purr and stood up, making a small bow toward her. "I'll see you tomorrow." He added and winked at her before walking towards the window.

Marinette followed him and tapped his shoulder just as he reached the window, making him turn his head around. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kitty." She said and pecked his cheek. "Things will work out. She can't be that bad."

He shook his head and smiled. "You wouldn't say that if you knew who I was talking about." He chuckled but shivered at the thought. "Good night, Princess." He winked before climbing outside her window.

She stood there, stunned for a moment as she watched him disappear into the night. "Good night, Kitty." She whispered to no one in particular.

* * *

 _Okay, I honestly have no idea where this might be going, all I know if that you should expect some drama in here. Well, I hope you liked it._

 _Well? Opinions? Advices? Comments and criticisms are welcomed but no flames please. Tell me what you think. Read and review please._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi, guys. Thank you to all that favorited/followed/reviewed this story.  
_

 _Well, enjoy it._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own anything from **Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.**_

* * *

Marinette's mind kept drifting off to what had happened with her and Chat Noir last Friday as she was walking to school. She barely noticed the people she passed: all she could focus on was how distressed her partner - well, Ladybug's partner - had been when he had come to her. She had never seen him like that and she could only hope that things would work out for him. She hated seeing him like that and it broke her heart to know she couldn't really help him.

Another thing she coulnd't stop thinking about was their kiss. She couldn't deny her attraction for him any longer and their kiss had only sparked her need of being with him. And she didn't understand why, all of a sudden, she was attracted to Chat. Of course, that didn't mean that she didn't love Adrien anymore. She was still in love with the young model but she just couldn't stop thinking about her partner. She just couldn't get him out of her mind. It bothered her that she didn't have the right answers for all the how's and why's. She was too caught up in her own throughts to notice anyhing else around her but that wasn't too much of a surprise for her. The weekend had passed by in a blur, she could hardly remember anything of what had happened over that time for her focus was on something else. Someone else, more precisely. She kept thinking about Chat Noir and about the promise he had made - that he would return. But he hadn't and that saddened her. He had been the one kissed her, not the other way around so why was he avoiding her now? She had kept hoping that he would knock on her window late at night and give her an explanation but he hadn't. And she wasn't going to accept that. She wanted to get some answers from him.

She wasn't too lucky when she met him as Ladybug during patrol either. For the first time since they had started working together, he had been quiet and had respected her personal space, not flirting with her and making bad puns as he usually did - and that unsettled her. Fortunately, there had been no more akumas attacks over the weekend - and she thanked all the Gods for that because she wasn't sure she could fight alonside Chat without doing something ridiculously stupid that would have gotten them both in danger. At least a good thing was happening...

Marinette barely registred when she reached the door to her classroom, she was too lost in her own thoughts to notice but what brought her back to reality was that she saw Adrien already in there through the small window. And he was alone. Swallowing down the nervousness she usually got around him, she pushed the door open and entered, struggling to keep up an air of confidence, though she had doubts it was working. "H-hey, Adrien..." She stuttered and couldn't stop the blush that spread over her cheeks when he looked up and gave her a small smile. Yep, it was definitely not working.

"Hey." He greeted her and cleared his throat, his cheeks turning a faint pink hue as the sight if her in front of him brought to him the memories of their kiss. He had been thinking about it the whole weekend and he had really wanted to visit her again as Chat Noir but he had reluctant and unsure of what her reaction would be. Something in his voice made her realize that he wasn't okay and that sparked her curiousity immediately. "How are you?" He asked, trying to dissipate the awkward tension from the room.

His voice felt like a splash of cold water over her and it managed bring her back to the real world. "I-I uhh... you're fine." She squaked once she realized her mistake and awkwardly cleared her throat. "I mean, I'm fine. What... what about you?" She asked in a shy voice. _Why can't I just talk to him without embarrassing myself?_ She asked herself and struggled to register the words he was saying when she noticed his lips moving.

"Not too great actually but I'm hoping it will get better." He said with a sigh, his gaze lowering to his desk as he fidgeted with his fingers. His response caught her off guard and for the first time since she had entered the classroom she could notice the sadness in his eyes. She opened her mouth to ask him why when the door opened and Alya walked in, a knowing grin on her lips when she saw the two alone in the room.

"Hey, what's going on here, lovebirds?" She teased, watching as Marinette went red and Adrien tried to hide a small smile - her best friend might have not noticed that but she had. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows at the pair, smirking at the panicked expression on Marinette's face.

"Alya!" Her friend managed to say through gritted teeth and dragged Alya from the front of the class to their desk. "This is not the right time." She warned with all the seriousness she was capable of.

"Calm down, girl. I was just teasing you." Alya defeated herself as they took their usual seats. "Say, how come you're here so early?"

"I uhh... I don't know. It just happened." The bluenette answered, staring off at her desk.

"It just happened? Marinette, when it comes to you, nothing ever 'just happens'."

"I know but... I can't explain, I'm a just little stressed." She mumbled and decided to leave it that way. It wasn't a lie, not exactly.

Soon, their classmates started to come as well and in a few minuted the classroom was buzzing with the teens' chatter. But there was one unusual thing and that unsettled Marinette. Almost everybody was already there, except for Chloe and Sabrina. _Those two are up to no good_ , Marinette told herself and just before she could voice her worry to Alya, the door was practically slammed open and Chloe walked inside, a smug look on her face. She looked pleased with something and if her classmates learned something, that was that nothing could be good when she had that look. Adrien tensed visibly and it looked like he was trying to make himself invisible while all the noise in the room stopped and everybody seemed to be holding their breaths.

Smirking, Chloe stood right in the front of the room, making sure that she was seen by everybody and she placed her hands on her hips, looking briefly in Adrien's direction. "I have some news to give you." She announced smugly.

 _Oh, no_ , Adrien gulped, having sense what was going to happen. _This can't be real, don't let it be real_ , he pleaded. It was bad enough that he was forced to do something he didn't want to, he didn't want his classmates to find out about it now... or in any other day for that matter.

"I feel responsible to let you know that..." Her eyes darted across the room as she spoke, enjoying the thick tension in the room. "... while many girls faint every time they hear Adrien's name..." She glared pointedly at Marinette for a brief moment before continuing, "I never have to worry about that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marinette whispered to her best friend who only shrugged in response.

"What I mean is, that from now on me and Adrien will be together for an undetermined period of time." Chloe finished and smirked when a collective gasp errupted from the class. Oh, how she was enjoying this...

 _This is not true. It can't be true_ , Marinette thought desperately, her eyes widening in shock as she looked at Adrien waiting for him to deny it but for the way the young model's shoulders were hunched she could tell it wasn't a joke. Though she wished it was... She wished it was just a cruel joke played on her but from the looks of things it wasn't and that pained her. Clenching her hands in tight fists, she felt the sudden urge to lay her head on the desk and groan but she resisted it. She didn't need to attract too much attention upon herself. But it didn't change the fact that she wanted the ground to swallow her up. _This is a nightmare_ , she thought and took in a deep breath to calm herself down. She just hoped she could go through the day without any incident.

* * *

 _Well, this is it. I'd like to thanks to Fairylight for pointing out the switch I did, I don't know where my mind was while writing that part and to Yamina20 for her suggestion, I will surely use it. Also, my biggest thanks to all of you out there who reviewed my story._


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys. Sorry for taking so long to update but it's been a stressful period and school's been killing me but I took advantage of my Christmas holiday and found some time to write this. I hope you'll like it._

 _Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited. It means a lot to me._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own anything from **Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.**_

* * *

"I can't do this, Plagg." Adrien sighed and rested his chin in his palm, his eyes staring dully at his computer screen where he had a picture of Ladybug smiling triumphantly after defeating yet another akuma. On any other day he would have been thrilled to scroll through her pictures on Ladyblog but now it was different. He couldn't look at the heroine without feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

The little black god looked up at him from his almost finished Camembert, his small ears dropping when he saw his chosen's sad expression. "What?" He asked though he had a good idea about what the model was talking about.

"I can't date Chloe." Adrien whispered as if only saying the words out loud would make the whole thing more real. "I don't like her in that way and I just can't..." He trailed off with a deep sigh.

"You don't really have a say on this matter." Plagg said, carefully choosing his words not to upset Adrien further. Even if he didn't show it too often, he did care about his kitten and he didn't want him to feel sad or miserable. He wanted to give him some sort of comfort, at least until he could find a way out of this mess. "You know how your father can be, he-"

"He doesn't care about what I think." Adrien mumbled sadly.

"Kid..." The small kwami started in an attempt to comfort the boy but he shook his head, cutting him off.

"You don't have to try to comfort me, Plagg. We both know it's true."

"You could still try talking to him. Maybe he'll understand."

"I already did. He doesn't even want to listen to me, what to talk about change the situation."

Plagg glanced around the room, trying to find something to cheer his chosen one with but he couldn't think of anything... he didn't know what he could say that would make the boy feel better. There was little to nothing he could do for his kitten. But maybe someone else could give him the comfort he needed... it had been quite some time since he had last visited Marinette and talking to her could work, even if it was with his mask on. She could give him the comfort that Plagg himself couldn't.

"A small walk could help." The black kwami murmured, more to himself as if to make sure it was a good idea but Adrien heard it anyway. "It can give you time to think about it..." He mused, not seeing that Adrien was already up before he finished the sentence.

"That's the best idea you had the whole day." Adrien said teasingly. "Plagg, claws on!" He cried, all too eager to be out of the house.

Minutes later, Chat Noir was running across rooftops, using his baton to jump from one house to another, the chilly night air combined with the excitement running through him to finally be away from his responsabilities as Adrien Agreste gave him a feeling of freedom he hadn't had in the last couple of days. All the stress he had been under was cleared away with every step that took him further away from his cold home. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care as long as he could just enjoy the thrilling feeling that only being Chat Noir could give him.

It only took him a moment to clear his thoughts enough that he finally realize where he was. He stopped running, his chest heaving with every breath he took and looked around him, his heart hammering in his chest though it had nothing to do with his crazy sprint. No. It was more about a certain someone he had longed for days to talk to but had never gained the confidence to. And now here he was, on a rooftop across from her house. He nearly wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole situation if it weren't for the fact that he needed to see her. She was so close and he wanted nothing more than to just be with her and have her in his arms again.

He leaped over the chimney of the neighboring roof that separated the Dupain-Cheng Bakery from its neighbor and barely registered when he landed on the rooftop of the building without making any sound. Quietly, he jumped down on the small balcony and crept over to the skylight that lead to his classmate's room. He noticed a soft glow coming towards his face and his acidic green eyes curiously peered into the room. The pink bed was empty but he was sure his princess was there. He saw her only moments later coming up into the space from the trapdoor that lead into her bedroom. She was already in her cozy pajamas and he couldn't stop the small, relieved smile that took hold of his lips at the sight but his happiness was quickly replaced with worry when he saw her almost defeated state. Taking a closer look to the girl, he noticed for the first time just how sad Marinette really was. Her eyes looked red and puffy from crying and her lips, now red and swollen from probably biting them, were turned down into a pout. Her skin looked unusually pale and her hair was down from the usual style she wore it. Seeing her in a state like this caused his cat ears to droop on the top of his head, concern creeping into him as he gazed down at her. Seeing her like this... seeing this side of her made his heart ache. He didn't like to see this normally sweet and cheerful girl look so defeated. He had subconsciously come to her to seek comfort but hadn't realized she too might need it.

His mind took him back to earlier that day, after Chloe had smugly announced their whole class that they were dating - without mentioning that their fathers had proposed it. Marinette's usually cheery mood had been replaced with something darker, she hadn't smiled the rest of the day and if he were to be honest, he could swear she had looked closed to tears.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. He should have realized sooner that what Chloe had done had really affected the bluerette. He hated seeing her like this, like the whole world was on her shoulders. He wanted to do something and cheer her up, make her happy again. Hesitantly, he knocked on the skylight and watched as Marinette tensed up, her eyes widening minutely as they gazed up at him. Her lips parted like she was about to say something but eventually gave up.

She didn't try to smile or make herself look happier - she knew she couldn't. She walked up the stairs to her bed and unlatched the skylight, allowing Chat Noir to come into her room. He landed on all fours on the bed before sitting crosslegged on the mattress and gave her his trademark gring though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What do you want, Chat?" She asked, rather coldly.

"I-" He hesitated, his eyes scanning the room. It was just how he remembered, still pink and still hers but something was different this time. "I wanted to see you." He said eventually, his acidic green eyes meeting her blue ones.

She laughed but it was humorless. It sounded empty, lifeless and it made his insides twist. "It's a little late for that." She said in a low, barely auditible voice.

"Princess-" He started only for her to give him a harsh glare.

"Don't you dare, Chat!" She hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes shining with fresh tears. "How can you do this to me?"

"Do what? Marinette, what's wrong?" He asked, unsure what she meant. Sure, she was upset but he didn't think it was his masked alterego's fault. He hadn't done anything to upset her, had he?

"You know what!" She snapped, all the pent-up emotions she had tried so hard to contain finally breaking through. "You come to me, say all that cute stuff about me, you kiss me and make me think you care about me but then you ignore me for days! And now you come back here with your stupid adorable grin and ask me what's wrong like you don't have any role in all this! Do you know how hard it's been for me to pretend like everything was fine when obviously it wasn't and act like I don't miss you when you were the only thing I could think about?!" She took a deep breath to steady herself once she was done speaking, her chest heaving for air and her lower lip trembling like she was about to cry. Chat Noir reached one hand for her but she pulled back and wiped at her eyes.

"I do care about you, Marinette!" He exclaimed. "And I'm sorry. I would have come sooner but I..." He trailed off, unable to continue his idea. How could he tell her that he had longed to see her but hadn't managed to muster the courage to come back to her because he was afraid of his own feelings? How could he tell her how he had spent every night so far lying wide awake in his bed and thinking about her, remembering her soft touch, the sound of her voice, the feel of her lips against his...

Wait, had she just said she had done the same thing?

"It doesn't matter now, Chat." She said with a sad smile. "What happened, happened." She tried to get up from the bed but Chat was faster than her as he grabbed her shoulders, pulling her towards him and practically forcing her to face him.

"Marinette, I wanted to see you. I really did, trust me. But I... I didn't know how you'd react so I..."

"It's fine. I understand." She mumbled and looked everywhere but in his eyes.

"No, it's not. Don't be upset."

"It's not just that, kitty." She whispered and finally found the courage to meet his gaze. Looking into his deep green eyes, she finally realized just how worried he was about her. Even with his mask in, she could still see the concern etched clearly on his face and the small pout of his lips. "I just had a bad day, that's all." One of his hands moved from her shoulder to her face and he gently cupped her cheek in his gloved palm, careful not to hurt her with his claws.

"I guess we both had a _claw_ -ful day, Princess." He said, trying to cheer her up with his pun. Marinette rolled her eyes but she couldn't stop the small smile that took hold of her lips. She leaned her head in his touch, a soft sigh escaping her slightly parted lips. "Tell me." He asked in a soft voice, leaning in closer to her so that the tips of their noses were almost touching. She sighed and lifed her hand up, covering his from her face.

"It's nothing important, kitty. Just a bad day, I told you."

His expression changed from concern to a slight anger and he pursed his lips together. "Please tell me it's a joke!" He said, a low growl in his voice. She looked confused for a moment, her eyes widening minutely. "I know it is important, Marinette! Don't try to deny it. Tell me." His voice had gotten softer now but it still had a firmness in it, demanding an answer.

She laughed dryly and removed his hand from her face, standing up abruptly. "You want to know what's wrong? Okay then." She grabbed his hand and pulled at his arm with force, making him stand as well and dragging him after her as she walked down the stairs from her loft-bed. He followed her obediently, his eyes scanning the room quickly as he tried to understand why it looked his different. It didn't take him too long to get it and the realization hit him like a truck. The pink walls were devoid of all the posters with Adrien. They looked empty and he felt weird without seeing them all over the room. He saw all the posters folded on her desk, looking out of place there. Had the news of him and Chloe dating hurt her that much...? He wondered briefly. But why? She never seemed to have much interest in Adrien, she had never really talked to him and she could barely form a coherent sentence around him so why was she so upset?

He didn't notice Marinette had stopped walking once they reached her computer until he bumped into her and he opened his mouth to apologize but she started talking before he had the chance to.

"I really like this boy from my class, Adrien Agreste." She said, her shoulders slumped and it took Chat a moment to process what she had said. His mouth opened as if to speak but no sound came out. His mind seemed to have gone completely blank, he didn't know what he could say to her, not when so many thoughts were running through his head. _Marinette likes me_ , He said to himself before noticing that she had started talking again. "I've been in love with him for a long time but I never had the courage to tell him how I felt about him. I was too scared to, I thought he wouldn't like me back. I'm a total klutz around him, I always stutter and make a fool of myself when I try to talk to him so after a few lame attempts I kinda gave up." She made a small pause as a sad smile took hold of her lips. "And today at school my bully just announced that they're now dating so basically I have no chance with him now and it really hurts, Chat." She looked up at him, fresh tears welling in the corners of her eyes but she tried to blink then away, her lower lip trembling. "It hurts knowing I lost someone I never never had because I was too much of a coward to confess my feelings for him." She snifled and lowered her head, biting her lips to hold back a small sob.

"I'm sorry, Princess." It was all he could say as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. _I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner_ , he thought. _Maybe if I had, we wouldn't have been in this situation._ He felt her lean onto him, her head resting on his chest as she laughed again, humorlessly.

"Oh kitty..." She sighed. "I should be the one apologizing, not the other way around."

"I don't understand." He said honestly. He really didn't. He didn't understand how he could have been so oblivious not to notice her feelings for him in the first place. Now that he thought about it, it was obvious, really. She had been so shy around Adrien, always blushing and stuttering when

"This is not fair toward you." She replied. "You staying here while I talk about the guy I love... it doesn't feel fair."

"You're hurt, Mari. I think it's inly fair I listened." He said and smiled a little even though he knew she couldn't see him.

"For me it's not. I care about you, chaton. I really do, probably more than I should but it's... confusing for me." She whispered in a voice so low that someone without Chat's enhanced hearing wouldn't have caught. He blinked confused. Hadn't she said a minute earlier she was in love with Adrien?

"I care about you too, Princess." He responded, unsure about his own feelings. He knew his heart belonged to Ladybug but she had never showed any interest in being more than his friend... and now, seeing Marinette look so defeated made him think that maybe the masked heroine wasn't the only one who had his affection. He couldn't deny his need to protect her, to make sure she was safe and happy and he wanted to make her happy, to bring a smile on her face. He hated seeing her so upset, it broke his heart to see this sweet girl suffer. He didn't want to be away from her and he most certainly didn't want her to think that he - either as Chat Noir or as Adrien - didn't care about her. The realization of what that meant came not long after the thought occurred to him. He cared about Marinette, he cared about her more than a friend and he never wanted her to think he didn't. He wasn't sure when or how it happened but he knew one thing: his Princess had a special place in his heart, she made him feel things he hadn't felt anytime before with anybody, not even with Ladybug. The thought was surprising, after all he had loved the heroine from that first day when she had promised to protect Paris but he had to admit to himself that his feelings for Marinette had grown stronger the more he was around the girl.

"I don't know what I would do without you, kitty." She asked and lifted her head a little to look up at him, a small smile on her lips. "Nor do I want to find out."

He smiled as well and bent down, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, _Purr_ -incess. I'll make sure you'll never find out."

She tilted her head back and, in a moment of bravery, pressed her lips against his but pulled back before he had the chance to react.

* * *

 _And here we go. Sorry again for making you wait so long for this chapter.  
_

 _I'll try to work on this story more often because I really want to finish it._

 _I hope you liked it._

 _Read and review please._


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